The "Dancing" Tour, May-June 2001

Fortunately for us, the amazing Brad Dahl and Terry Weaver came to our rescue by flying out and trailing us in their own rental car. We rode in style when we needed it most, during three brutally-routed mid-tour gigs: Lexington, Kent (OH), and Charleston (WV). This was taken in Kent. Top row, left to right: Penske truck with bay door open, Evan Francis (he did eventually get on a plane), Terry Weaver, Thomas Nordegg. Bottom: Brad Dahl, me, Nick D'Virgilio.

 

Stacey and I took a little mid-tour detour to visit her ancestral hometown of Pecks Mill, West Virginia (just you try and find it on a map-I couldn't). But first we saw Brad and Terry off at Charleston's Yeager Airport, and I had some biscuits and gravy that may still be with me in some capacity. My favorite dialogue of the whole tour happened moments before this shot. Me to Brad: "Man, I can't believe they have an international airport here." Brad: "Yeah, they fly to other states."

 

When you're on the road, you can go days without a news report. I'm a political junkie, so usually I'm up on everything. I had no idea this was even in the works, and so when I saw the paper outside our Springfield, VA Motel 6, I couldn't help but fall to my knees and praise the Lord above out of pure shock. I'm no Democratic true-blue loyalist, but I can't resist being happy over the GOP having its head handed to them. Offended? Interested? Check out the politics section of this site, where I really try and piss people off.

 

And this is what happens when you've been on the road for too long. At a party near Hartford, CT, in a Motel 6 hotel room, on the second-to-last night of the full-band tour, I planted one on Nick to show my appreciation for his efforts. Meanwhile, Tricia can only look on and wonder what she's missing.